


Pet Project

by dial-up (dialup)



Category: Twenty One Pilots
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-23
Updated: 2017-10-15
Packaged: 2019-01-17 16:29:41
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 827
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12369630
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dialup/pseuds/dial-up
Summary: Have you ever had a pet project? Something you work on slowly, subtly, making small changes every now and then, seeing how far you can push it, how far you can ride the ride until it stops? Tyler did - and his name was Josh.





	Pet Project

**Author's Note:**

> Hello!
> 
> This is a taste test, really, to see the general response to well, my writing! If it's liked, or at the very least tolerated, I'll be sure to follow up on this chapter very soon!
> 
> This seems incomplete, or unfinished, but I promise it's not! It's an excerpt, for lack of a better word, to give you a feel of my writing style, and where I want to go with this.
> 
> Thanks for reading!
> 
> (And, stay alive, frens. |-/)

Have you ever had a pet project? Something you work on slowly, subtly, making small changes every now and then, seeing how far you can push it? Tyler did - and his name was Josh. He'd never call him his pet project, but it was kind of true. Over the course of a few weeks, Tyler's been slowly pushing Josh further and further, seeing how far his friend's trust goes, how far he could take him. 

The snow was just starting to fall in Ohio - a little earlier than last year - and like always, Josh was sitting outside, watching the snowflakes glide down. All sorts of thoughts raced through his head - regarding winter, regarding life, regarding Tyler, (not that the last two were really different to him,) but mostly about the latter. Josh never *ever* felt this way before, especially not towards another guy. He wouldn't dare dream of it. Tyler and him both were raised religious, Josh accepting that he loved Tyler - more than a friend - was a death sentence to his faith, and Tyler's. But Josh really couldn't help it. He found it adorable every time Tyler stumbled over a word in conversation, every time Tyler would tell a joke, he'd look up at Josh to see if he laughed, feeling proud of himself. Josh didn't know how Tyler felt, and that made this even worse. To him, it seemed like Tyler was baiting this out of him, baiting his love and affection out, wanting it to be proven, set in stone. Josh wanted to prove it, but was far too afraid to act. Tyler strung him along, and Josh was helpless to it. Every request Tyler made, Josh fulfilled - every thing Tyler asked for, Josh got him. It was like he was a pet - like he was Tyler's pet - and he didn't know how to feel. 

On one hand, you've got the optics of it - Josh didn't like it, at least not knowing the intentions behind it. It was frustrating, and degrading at times, but Tyler was his best friend, what could he do? It would be a waste of time trying to explain how he felt to anyone - especially Tyler. He struggled to talk to him as it was - him being hopelessly in love, star-struck - he could barely finish a regular sentence, there was no way an explanation of all his bottled-up feelings would go over well. It'd end in tears, and Josh didn't want to find out whose tears, or if they were happy or not. He'd rather never know the truth than confront Tyler on anything, ignorance is bliss. Josh the puppet, Tyler the puppeteer, maybe it was meant to be like that. Josh closed out that series of thoughts, moving onto the next. 

On the other hand, Josh really did love Tyler, more than anything. More than he loved watching the snowflakes drop down onto the sidewalk, more than he loved relieving his stress onto a new drum kit, more than literally anything. If he didn't say something, say anything, maybe this opportunity would slip. Maybe Tyler would be the one that got away. The thought destroyed him every time it passed, but there was no way to know unless one of them did something. Tyler seemed to enjoy the pet dynamic, so Josh knew he wouldn't bring it up. Josh had to ask himself one question - Is this, this will-we-won't-we relationship, worth putting everything on the line, everything out for Tyler to strike if he wanted to. Josh would be putting his heart on his sleeve, and he didn't know if Tyler wanted to steal it, or break it. Josh thought about it like this - He was a rabbit, minding his business, intrigued by the dogs that chased him around, yet always too nervous (and careful) to approach them, to know them better. Him telling Tyler any of this - any of his thoughts on this matter - would be the equivalent of him hopping over to the dog, offering him his neck, waiting to see if the dog snapped or not. To Josh, both outcomes - talking through this or not - would end horribly for one of them. 

Josh stood up, brushing off the thin blanket of snow that'd piled up on the shoulders of his coat, pulling his hood over his head. It didn't matter now, nothing did. Nothing will change if he didn't at least try something, if he didn't make a move. Josh started walking down the street, toward's Tyler's house. This was either going to be the best moment of his life, ending in a long relieved hug, exhaling a sigh of relief he'd held in for years - or the worst moment of his life, ending in God knows what. Josh gritted his teeth, running through mental play-by-plays of what was going to happen next - but he knew that he'd fall apart as soon as his eyes crossed Tyler's. They had a way of unraveling him, always did.


End file.
